General Meeting #6: Floodproofing Historic Structures

Join us on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 6 to 9 PM at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club for General Meeting #6!

We are excited to welcome special guest speakers Kenrick Hartman, Associate Principal, and Meris Westberg, Associate III, both of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. They will present: Floodproofing Historic Structures: Balancing Resilience, Preservation, and Regulation

The evening will include networking, drinks, and dinner.

About this Course (1 HSW)

With the increasing effects of climate change, many historic properties across the country that were not designed to meet today’s floodproofing demands are at risk of flooding. In addition, common modern floodproofing strategies are at often odds with traditional preservation practices and regulations. In this presentation, speakers specializing in building enclosures and historic preservation will explore floodproofing design considerations, implementation strategies, and their various regulatory challenges through case studies from New York and New Jersey. Attendees will be familiarized with adaptation strategies using ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ floodproofing, learn about the regulatory bodies who guide flood adaptation, and consider together the design and philosophical challenges of adapting historic structures for modern flood risks.

Guest Speakers

Kenrick Hartman, RBEC, PE, LEED AP, specializes in the evaluation, repair, and design of building enclosure systems. He has extensive experience in managing all phases of the investigation, repair design, and construction periods, applying his expertise when consulting on new construction projects. Mr. Hartman is knowledgeable in various materials, including terra cotta, brick, glass fiber reinforced concrete, steel, concrete glass, and various roofing and waterproofing products.

Mr. Hartman has been awarded the IIBEC Emerging Professionals Award of Excellence, the Francesco Volunteer of the Year Award, and the Outstanding Volunteer Award. In addition, he was awarded the J. Borda Fellowship, the CER Fellowship, and a research assistantship, by Pennsylvania State University. He has authored many industry-related publications, including Evaluating As-Built Properties of Masonry Wall Systems Using Investigative Laboratory and In-Situ Testing for IIBEC, Floodproofing New York: The City’s Response to Superstorm Sandy for IIBEC, and Considerations for Blindside Waterproofing Applications for the Architectural Engineering Institute.

Meris Westberg is an Associate and Architectural Conservator in the New York City office of Wiss, Janney, Elstner & Associates, specializing in materials investigations and restoration techniques of historic structures. She has worked on all scales, from large civil structures and major institutions to private residences and individual monuments. Ms. Westberg earned her Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania in 2021. Her master’s thesis focused on flood risk awareness and preparedness at historic sites in the United States. She completed the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative’s Heritage Emergency Response Training in 2018 and currently serves on the working group of the National Heritage Responders, responding to and educating about cultural heritage-related emergencies resulting from environmental and manmade disasters.

Tickets

$0.00 AIANS Members – Regular, Associate & Allied

$25.00 Students

$25.00 AIA Members From Other Sections

$75.00 Non-AIA Members